Scorpius Malfoy and the Lions' Den
by malfoyforever
Summary: Scorpius's first year. As he fights bullies, attends classes, and establishes friendships, he finds out more secrets than he would want to know, and even discovers the origins of the pro-pureblood regime, with costly consequences. ON HIATUS.
1. Last Breakfast at Malfoy Manor

_**Last Breakfast at Malfoy Manor **_

"Master Scorpius, you _musts_ waken up!"

Scorpius was snapped from his _rather_ good dream with a groan, finding himself face-to-face with the house-elf, Batty.

Batty was Father's personal house-elf and usually never bothered with him – Draco was her principal master – so if Batty had come to wake him, either his father was busy _or_ it was one of the rare times during which he actually paid attention to him.

Scorpius preferred the first, frankly.

"Yes, Batty," he said wearily, and rubbed his eyes. "Just a minute, there. What happened to Johnny? And Fifi?"

Batty's bat-like ears drooped and she regarded him with sad, big brown eyes.

"Master Scorpius would prefers _another_ elf, is that right?"

He put up his hands. "No! It's fine! I mean, I haven't seen you for so long..." He desperately tried to change the subject. "Father's travels in Scandinavia went fine, I trust, Batty?"

She frowned at him. "Yes, Master Scorpius, they wents _more_ than fine, _very_ fine. Now we will get you dressed up in the Muggle clothes Mistress Astoria buyed you last week, yes?"

With a sideways glance, she opened the door to his wardrobe and presented him with a set of jeans and a black hoodie.

"These shoulds fit fine," she said, and bowed. "Master Draco is expecting you at breakfast."

Scorpius fingered the rough material once she had Disapparated. They certainly didn't look very comfortable, but he promised himself he would change into them once he clambered onto the Hogwarts Express.

He made his way to the kitchens slowly, smiling slightly, for he would not see _anything_ of Malfoy Manor for the next months until the Christmas holidays.

His family was already seated, Father reading the _Daily Prophet_, Mother was sipping her tea, and Grandmother was staring out of the window, eating her breakfast blankly.

_Welcome to Family Time_, thought Scorpius, and he took a seat.

"Good morning, Father, Mother, Grandmother," he said. He wondered what had happened to Grandfather.

Hopefully he wouldn't come to breakfast. The old nut was driving him _mad_.

As if she were reading his thoughts, Grandmother had a tight-lipped smile at him.

"Lucius will be coming downstairs soon," she nodded. "He will want to see his only grandson off."

"_Naturally_," muttered Scorpius.

Father frowned at him, but did not comment.

Scorpius was finishing his croissant when the door to the kitchens opened, Lucius Malfoy strolling in.

Grandfather had spent the last few years in Azkaban, and it hadn't done him any justice, believe Scorpius.

His cold eyes waned over to his grandson and he pulled out the chair facing him like a throne.

"September first," he drawled. "I believe it is your first day attending Hogwarts, boy."

_You __believe__... Shows how snotty you are. _

Scorpius nodded. "Yes, it is."

Those unforgivable grey eyes pierced his, and Grandfather picked up his mug and asked, "You are aiming for Slytherin, Scorpius?"

The boy stared straight back at him.

"Yes, Grandfather – most certainly I am."

* * *

><p><strong>This is non-compliant, for some part, with the rest of my fics, meaning some of the Weasleys or Potters may not be in the same House as in <em>One of the four, when all was well, <em>and also with the Penetrator of Darkness and the Sorting Hat's Bound. **


	2. An Eventful Train Ride

_**An Eventful Train Ride**_

"Have fun at Hogwarts," said his mother, smiling. "You'll love it there, Scorpius, being surrounded by so many young witches and wizards your age."

Scorpius returned her smile somewhat uncertainly. All of a sudden, his parents were nice to him, and he found it rather suspicious.

Father did not smile, however, but his words were kind. "Don't get into trouble," he added. "I expect you to show the Malfoy manner in every situation, boy."

"Yes, Father," said Scorpius. He let himself get kissed by his mother and was eager to get onto the train, grasping Hunter's cage in which the imperial owl screeched offensively. "I'll see you at Christmas, then."

He turned and disappeared amidst the hustle and bustle.

"You think he'll be OK?" Astoria faced her husband.

He shrugged. "He _is_ a clever boy. Hopefully he gets Sorted into a respectable House. I wouldn't get my hopes up for Slytherin, though."

He beckoned her, and she followed him to their Disapparation point.

Meanwhile, Scorpius was looking for an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Wherever he went, people sneered and glared at him, or stared at him strangely. He knew that his father and grandfather had been Death Eaters – that was why Grandfather had gone to Azkaban – but he hadn't done anything, much.

_Stupid, stupid people_, he thought with a scowl. _And the Light side thinks that the world is perfectly unprejudiced?_

They couldn't be more wrong.

Scorpius had noticed that people stared at him whenever he went out with his mother, and he had asked her about it. She had taken him aside and explained the whole mess the Malfoy family was nowadays. He had been about six at the time – much too young to know these things – but he was determined to disprove these sorry expectations of him, which was why he had lied to Grandfather earlier about getting Sorted into Slytherin.

He had no wish whatsoever to end up there. That would just prove people's theory that he was a budding Dark Lord.

Scorpius shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts.

Finally, he ran into a pretty silvery blonde girl with a P badge pinned on her chest. She studied him intently.

"First year, are you?" she asked. "Scorpius Malfoy, right?"

He nodded.

"I'm Victoire Weasley," she said with a smile, and beckoned him to follow her. "I know a compartment where you can sit – my cousins and brother are first years too – I don't think they'll mind too much that you're there. You don't seem too much like the type that causes trouble, anyhow."

Victoire stuck her head into a compartment and called, "Guys, this is Scorpius. He's been looking for a compartment to sit in. He can sit here, aye Louis?"

She was looking in particular at a handsome boy with long pale coppery hair in a ponytail and sleepy blue eyes.

"What? M'kay, Vic," he said distractedly.

The prefect left, leaving Scorpius to sit beside the Louis boy.

There were two other children in the compartment that he hadn't noticed earlier; he guessed they were her cousins. One was a reading girl with ochre-coloured bushy curls, freckles sprinkled lightly across her nose, and big intelligent grey blue eyes. The other was a green-eyed boy with very messy black hair whose scrawny elbow was propped up against the windowpane in boredom.

The black-haired boy turned to Scorpius – he viewed him somewhat suspiciously – and said, "You're Scorpius Malfoy."

"Yes, I am," said Scorpius, staring back at him. "And I suppose you're related to Harry Potter."

"You _suppose_?" the girl smirked. "He's his son, prat."

"Albus Potter," offered the boy, ignoring her, sticking out a hand. "But you _can_ call me Al if you like."

Scorpius shook it.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to introduce myself," said the girl. She stuck out a hand as well.

"Rose Weasley," she proclaimed.

"And I'm Louis Weasley," said the long-haired bloke, also shaking his hand.

"So... you're all cousins here?" Scorpius guessed.

"Yep," Albus nodded. "My mum's Rose's dad's younger sister, and Louis's dad is her dad and my mum's eldest brother."

"But we have more cousins," Louis added.

And he launched into a full commentary on his family tree.

Once he had finished, Rose clapped sarcastically.

"_Well _done_, well_ done." She yawned. "What 'bout you, Malfoy? You have any cousins or siblings or _anything_?"

"My cousin's in this year," Scorpius replied, regarding her calmly. "Her name's Alcmene Nott. I also have another cousin, Belisaria, who is the daughter of my Aunt Mnemosyne, but she's only six. My sister graduated last year; she was a Ravenclaw prefect, and now she's going to work as an Unspeakable."

"_Wicked_," Albus grinned. "I'd like to be an Unspeakable, myself."

"Why?" Rose shot. "I think studying all day rather isn't my thing. Boring, for one thing."

"It'd be interesting," Louis nodded neutrally, "but I agree with Rose – don't really fancy extra training either."

The trolley witch appeared some other time later, smiling at the four.

"Do any of you want sweets, dears?"

Scorpius looked up from his book and nodded while the other three did the same.

"You collect Chocolate Frog cards, too?" Albus glanced at Scorpius.

"Yes, I do," said Scorpius.

"Me as well," added Louis.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Selma Wattlebird books beat those cheap cards any day."

"Nah," Albus teased her, and turned to the blonde boy, "She doesn't mean it. I found a stash of Morganna and Founders' cards under her bed."

"Really?" Scorpius smirked at her.

"And Sirius Black and her parents' too," Albus nodded.

"You little-" Rose hissed, but was interrupted by Louis, who put up his hands and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, but I think that this is getting rather violent."

"_Obviously_," muttered Rose, going back to her novel, which was entitled, _The Jarvey and the Dragon's Quest_.

"Which House do you want to be in?" Louis said to no one in particular.

"Dunno; I guess Gryffindor would be fine," said Albus.

"Ravenclaw," Rose said.

"_Not_ Slytherin," said Scorpius quietly.

The three cousins gaped at him.

"The Malfoy family has _always_ been in Slytherin!" exclaimed Albus. "James said so."

"Well, I can break tradition, can't I?" snapped Scorpius, a little more harshly than he had intended.

"'Course, you can, mate," Louis grinned, "after all, my other sis's in _bloody_ Slytherin!"

"And I was _intending_ to break tradition," shot Rose, her head still in the book, a smirk creeping onto her face.

Scorpius reddened. "Oh," he mumbled. He wasn't used to people defending him, not at all, but somehow he liked it.


	3. Breaking Tradition, Indeed

_**Breaking Tradition, Indeed **_

Around nightfall, the train pulled to a stop.

"Hogsmeade station," said Rose quietly, bending down to pick up her things. She got up and grinned. "_Finally_!"

"Oi!" Albus called. "_Wait_ for us, will you?"

Rose rolled her eyes but obeyed.

They descended from the Hogwarts Express and over the hustle and bustle of the students of all seven years, Scorpius heard a rough voice call, "Firs' years o'er 'ere! In the boats! Firs' years in the boats! Don' go in the carriages, go into the boats!"

"Hello, Hagrid," said Albus loudly.

The giant (not literally, of course) peered down at him with warm black eyes. "Ah, little Al! And Rosie and Louis!" He grinned at them, and then turned to Scorpius. "An' yer Draco and Astoria's son, aren' you?"

"Yes, sir," Scorpius said.

For a moment, a shadow passed over his face, but then he smiled carefully down at him. "Good for yeh lot, then, now into the boats! An' next Friday yer will come over and 'ave tea, OK?"

"Of course, Hagrid," smiled Rose. She tugged at Albus's robes sleeves, who were, unsurprisingly, a tad too long. "C'mon, stop staring at those horseless carriages, Al!"

"Fine," grumbled Albus, and the four of them embarked onto a boat, which rode over the black, seemingly calm water, like a swan.

The castle loomed into focus, and Scorpius widened his eyes.

"Nice, isn't it?" whispered Albus.

"Awesome," said Louis, beaming at it.

"Cool," Scorpius nodded with a grin.

Even Rose didn't have a snide remark for this.

"I can't wait to get in there!"

A tall man with messy light brown hair and friendly brown eyes was waiting at the door. He waved at Hagrid.

"Looks like everyone got here in one piece," he grinned. Several students smiled or laughed nervously.

He waited for everyone to disembark and then snapped his fingers.

Double oak doors opened with a slightly creaky sound, leading to a room with a starry ceiling that led off to another set of heavy doors.

"I am Professor Longbottom," said the man, eyeing the group of first years. "I teach Herbology here at Hogwarts and I am the Head of Gryffindor House."

"This room here," he gestured around him, "is the Entrance Hall. In a short moment, I will open the door and we shall commence your Sorting."

"There are four Houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindors are brave and daring, Hufflepuffs are hardworking, loyal, and dedicated, Ravenclaws are witty and clever, and Slytherins are cunning and ambitious."

When he said the word _Slytherin_, Scorpius got the impression that he was looking towards him. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Your Houses will be your family at Hogwarts. You will have classes, eat, and dorm with members of your Houses. Your triumphs will earn your House points and your misbehavings point-docking. Each House has produced outstanding wizards and witches, and each House is special in its particular way. No House, remember this, is any better than the others. Here at Hogwarts we promote House unity."

Scorpius got the tiniest hint that Longbottom was not telling the truth. Albus and Louis seemed to agree; Rose was practically bouncing, waiting for him to begin the Sorting, and muttering under her breath what sounded like curses.

The Professor paused, and then limped to the set of doors and pulled softly.

They were led into a tall-walled room with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, four House tables, and a high table at the end where teachers sitting there scrutinised them. At the House tables, at the Slytherin table at least, Scorpius felt the students' stares.

He gazed defiantly back at them, his eyebrows bunched together.

Longbottom departed and returned with a long parchment paper, a knobbly stool, and a particularly battered old pointed hat.

He posed it onto the stool and it began singing:

_Patched and frayed _

_Oh yes, I am _

_The Hogwarts Sorting Hat _

_A thousand years ago, I was _

_Dear Godric Gryffindor's common hat _

_And now, I Sort you children, young ones _

_Into his and his fellow Founders' Houses_

_Do you belong in Gryffindor?_

_Where bravery, daring, and nerve shall be taught _

_Where chivalry shall be learnt _

_And scarlet and gold be worn? _

_Should you wander into Hufflepuff? _

_Where your hard work _

_Your dedication _

_Your tolerance _

_And your loyalty _

_Shall define you? _

_Do you wish for Ravenclaw? _

_Where wit shall be required_

_Creativity shall be prized _

_And intelligence shall be crucial? _

_Or will you thrive in Slytherin? _

_Where your ambition and cunning _

_Where your cleverness and shrewdness _

_Where your life is valued preceding all of the others' _

_So put me on, don't be afraid! _

_For I am a mere Sorting Hat! _

It went limp and Longbottom began reading off names from the parchment.

"Beetle, Mark!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Beetle, Samantha!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Corner, Sophia!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Corner, Ryan!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

And so on. Scorpius's mind drifted as he contemplated the Houses.

Slytherin, he knew. He had grown up with a bunch of snakes, and surely it wouldn't do him much good to spend seven years in company of more. They looked unfriendly and cold. Hufflepuff looked fine; Aunt Mnemosyne had been a Hufflepuff – but even though black was a good colour, he did not fancy yellow too much. They looked friendly enough. Ravenclaw was prim and proper; its members sat straight and alert in their seats. One girl was reading a thick volume sitting on her lap. Gryffindor wouldn't be good; they looked like a burly lot, and things could get dirty with them and their prejudices.

Scorpius decided Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw would be the best options.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

Scorpius walked quickly to the stool, decidedly to get this done with, and pulled the hat over his head.

It spoke. "Ah, a Malfoy." The Sorting Hat paused.

"You are much more difficult to Sort than your father, mother, grandfather, and grandmother. Your aunt Daphne was harder; she would have made a good Ravenclaw, but she chose Slytherin. Your aunt Mnemosyne – ah yes, I remember her. Affectionate but tending to get sarcastic when she felt insulted. Good Hufflepuff, though, that one. Hmm. Yes."

"I would prefer Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff," Scorpius stated.

"Decisive, you are – boy, yes, you do present Ravenclaw characteristics – cleverness, wit – and Hufflepuff traits – dedication, loyalty, tolerance, dependability. Mmm. But you also present Slytherin characteristics – determination, strong-will, cunning, leadership, shrewdness – hmm, actually you could fit in any House, really."

Scorpius frowned. "I don't mean to be rude, sir, but-"

"Make up my mind?" The Hat chuckled. "Now, my dear boy, a bit of patience wouldn't hurt. Yes, you could do well in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff – but really, the House that could gain most from your entry would be Gryffindor. You fight hard, you are brave, daring, with nerve – not to mention chivalrous."

"Better be GRYFFINDOR!" It yelled before Scorpius could protest.

The Great Hall was in outrage. Over at the Slytherin table, some students were yelling "Re-Sorting! Re-Sorting!. Gryffindors were glowering at him, some younger ones hissing as he passed.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Victoire.

She lowered her voice. "Congratulations, Scorpius," she grinned. "Now we have the honour to house the first Gryffindor Malfoy!" She took two fingers and blew a wolf whistle. "OI! People, shut it! We'll not Sort all day, y'know! Some of us are _hungry_!" She turned back to the blonde boy.

"You can sit beside my friends and me for the time being."

Scorpius watched the rest of the Sorting carefully so he could see where the kids from the train would end up.

"Potter, Albus!"

Albus looked slightly nauseated and stumbled to the stool.

About thirty seconds later-

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table couldn't have been more enthusiastic. Scorpius heard whoops and the older Ravenclaws were smiling like mad.

"We got the first Ravenclaw Potter!"

"_Go Eagles_!"

"Figures... Namesakes like _that_!"

"_Wicked_, Potter!"

The Headmistress hushed the students and the Great Hall felt silent.

"Weasley, Louis!"

Louis looked nervous as well; he was all red, almost to match his hair. He took a deep breath and disappeared under the Sorting Hat.

Almost immediately, the Hat shouted:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table looked happier than usual, a girl with flaming red hair and round glasses getting up and cheering with the rest. She ruffled Louis's hair, and Scorpius distantly heard, "Second Hufflepuff Weasley! Awesome, Lou!"

"Weasley, Rose!"

"Obviously, it's SLYTHERIN!"

The bellow came about two seconds after the Hat touched her brunette curls.

If Scorpius's Sorting had caused outrage, Rose's was a _scandal_. The Slytherin table clapped quietly, dignified, and a blonde girl resembling Victoire nodded curtly to her. Rose herself seemed unaffected; she smiled in disappointment at not landing in the House of her choice, but even had the time to call to James, "Jamesie, you would better close your mouth, or you'll swallow a fly!"

After a "Zabini, Natasha!", Longbottom wiped his forehead and carried the stool and hat away, the Headmistress stood up.

"There has been a few... ah, surprises at this year's Sorting," her beady gaze fell over Scorpius, Albus, Louis, and _especially_ Rose, "but assure yourself that where the Sorting Hat has put you is where you belong. I have a few announcements to make, but as I have noticed, Mr Potter in particular is staring at the plate as if he was wishing to drown himself into the house-elves' savouries, and I would not want to deprive him of this privilege, would I?"

James Potter reddened. "No, Professor, you wouldn't," he mumbled, while many students laughed.

"Then we shall eat!" proclaimed McGonagall, and settled down into her seat as delicacies appeared in front of them.

"James, you world-class _prat_," said Victoire, leaning across the table. "Are you _that_ suicidal? Messing with McGonagall?"

"No!" yelled James at her. He glowered at Scorpius. "I just think that Malfoys _shouldn't_ belong in Gryffindor! And that Weasleys and Potters do not belong _anywhere_ but Gryffindor!"

Scorpius glared back at him.

"And you lot think that this world is _better_ than the pre-war one, Potter?"

"Well, your family _deserved_ it," James shot back calmly.

"I know what my family did, and I cannot say I am _proud_ of it," Scorpius growled, "but I wasn't even _alive_ when the war raged, so _why _should I be blamed?"

"Why should we Weasleys be considered good?" Victoire asked, thoughtfully chewing her food, "It's all a matter of name, Scorpius. You should know better than anyone that old prejudices die hard."

"And Weasleys have been enemies against the Malfoys for _centuries_," added a brown-haired boy sitting beside James.

James clapped him on the back. "Well said, Tom, well said indeed."

Victoire rolled her eyes at that.

"Ignore him," she whispered to Scorpius.

Scorpius nodded.

"I'd be glad to."

* * *

><p><em><strong>And that marks the end of the infamous Sorting of 2017! So, as McGonagall so clearly phrased it, "There has been a few... ah, surprises at this year's Sorting." <strong>_

_**Indeed there has been, McGonagall! **_

_**Scorpius Malfoy = GRYFFINDOR **_

_**Albus Potter = RAVENCLAW **_

_**Louis Weasley = HUFFLEPUFF **_

_**Rose Weasley = SLYTHERIN **_

_**Next up: Scorpius settles in at Gryffindor Tower and gets to know a few Housemates, I think. **_

_**Please read and review!**_


	4. Settling into Gryffindor Tower

_**Settling into Gryffindor Tower**_

The two Gryffindor prefects that led the first years to their dormitories were Victoire and a nice enough bloke by the name of Jared Delaney.

The new lions followed the seventh years to the seventh floor of the Hogwarts castle – obviously up more flights of stairs than Scorpius could count that kept on attempting to puzzle them.

Finally, they reached a quiet hallway where several portraits were hanging. The prefects stopped in front of one of an extremely fat woman in a pink silk dress.

Victoire waited for the seven first year Gryffindors to gather round her and Jared before beginning to speak.

"This, firsties," she jerked her head towards the portrait, who scowled, "is the Fat Lady. She, let's say, guards the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. To gain entry, you require a password that will change uniquely when necessary."

"If you have, perchance, forgotten it," added the Fat Lady sternly, "well, you shall wait outside until you remember."

"Thank you," scowled Victoire. "The password, children, is _stupefy_."

The portrait swung at her words, revealing a portrait hole.

"Climb in, little pests," said the husky voice of Jared Delaney, "or Mama will send a Howler!"

Victoire shook her head. "Sometimes you're a tad mental, Delaney, like today."

"Well, someone has to be the fun prefect, Weasley!"

"_Excuse me_-"

Scorpius didn't hear the rest, as he was too busy contemplating his surroundings.

The Gryffindor common room was large, filled with squashy, comfortable-looking armchairs, and tables adept for studying. One wall was entirely occupied by a warm, active fireplace where names of the fallen lions of the Battle of Hogwarts were engraved on one gold etiquette per name, stuck onto gleaming dark wood. Another wall had a bulletin board which still held notices that seemed to be remnants from the previous year. Large windows showed a refreshing view of the moonlight Hogwarts grounds. The floor was carpeted with red velvet, one staircase leading to the girls' dormitories and another to the boys'.

Scorpius didn't know why, but he liked this place.

A ghost floated up to him as he walked around the room. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," he said formally. "Gryffindor House ghost."

"Also known as Nearly Headless Nick," said an older student who was playing chess.

"Why _nearly_-"

Nearly Headless Nick sighed loudly. "I prefer my – ah – _official_ name, but as it is, child-"

He cocked his head, and the ghostly organ almost fell – yet it was still, difficultly, attached. He adjusted his head back, where it wobbled dangerously, hidden by his ruff.

"Botched beheading," Nick coughed rather uncomfortably, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, young master Malfoy. The Bloody Baron would be most pleased to meet you, if you shall be courteous enough to stop and chat in the dungeons."

"I thought the Bloody Baron hated Gryffindors," Scorpius frowned.

"No, it is not like that!" exclaimed the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower. "You see, Mr Malfoy, the Bloody Baron and I are past such _prejudices_. We are wise enough to – excuse my pun – drift through these difficult notions."

"Ah," said Scorpius, nodding.

Nearly Headless Nick murmured a "Goodbye" and drifted to speak to another Gryffindor student.

"Oi, Malfoy!"

Scorpius turned around. A small, skinny boy with reddish brown hair and big brown eyes was looking up at him.

"Hello," the blond boy said.

"Austin Finch-Fletchey," replied the boy, grinning at him.

"Oh," Scorpius said.

"My twin brother's in Hufflepuff – I'm the first Gryffindor in my family, apart from of course some aunts and uncles, but they died in the first war," Austin seemed to be quite the chatterbox. "So this is the common room! It's _wicked_, right? And I thought that Vic Weasley was lying when she told me at Christmas a few years ago!"

"Er, yes," he raised a pale eyebrow at him, but he didn't seem to notice.

Jared came over.

"Almost past curfew, boys," he said pleasantly, pointing to a clock in the corner. "Up to your dormitories, now."

Austin trailed after Scorpius as he made his way up the staircase. Plaques adorned the walls.

"Those are dedicated to the lions that fought in the Battle of Hogwarts," Austin whispered. He pointed at a big one, in particular.

"That one is entirely dedicated to the Weasleys."

Scorpius squinted and approached.

_**To the Weasley family, Gryffindor to the End: **_

_**Arthur Uther Weasley (b. 6 February 1950) **_

_**Let the equality always guide him. **_

_**Molly Sarah Weasley (nee Prewett) (b. 30 October 1949) **_

_**She will do anything to protect her children. **_

_**William Arthur Weasley (b. 29 November 1970) **_

_**He did not let the werewolf affect him. **_

_**Charles Melvin Weasley (b. 12 December 1972) **_

_**He fought like an enraged dragon. **_

_**Percival Ignatius Weasley (b. 22 August 1976) **_

_**He came back at the end. **_

_**Fredrick Gideon Weasley (1 April 1978 – 2 May 1998) **_

_**He lived to laugh. **_

_**George Fabian Weasley (b. 1 April 1978) **_

_**He will always be holey without his twin. **_

_**Ronald Bilius Weasley (b. 1 March 1980) **_

_**He would always be superior to himself. **_

_**Ginevra Molly Weasley (b. 11 August 1981) **_

_**She braved a thousand and one perils by defiance. **_

"Wow!" Austin's eyes widened. "Talk about awards!"

Scorpius was beginning to understand why the Weasleys were so famous.

"And there are Neville's, Hermione's, and Harry Potter's."

Scorpius turned-

_**To Neville Frank Longbottom, from Toad-less Boy to Hero **_

_**A little bit of confidence never hurt. **_

_**To Hermione Jean Granger, the Insufferable Know-It-All **_

_**Friendship and bravery will always be valued, to her, with a higher power than books or cleverness combined.**_

_**To Harry James Potter, the Boy who Lived, Vanquisher of the Dark Lord**_

_**It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities. **_

_**Love will always be the strongest magic of them all. **_

"Awesome," said Austin, tracing the gold plaques.

Scorpius couldn't agree more.

"C'mon, mate," the Gryffindor said, "let's go see if everything in our trunks arrived intact."

As soon as they stepped in, a boy shouted, "Malfoy!"

Just as Scorpius had expected, he wound up with wands pointed at him.

Before they could curse him, Scorpius yelled, "_Protego_!"

The surprise of his Shield Charm knocked the three other boys off-balance.

The tallest of the lot, a black-haired one with triangular shaped eyes, wiped his hands on his robes.

"Well, if Malfoy's too smarty-pants for us to curse him, then there's always the old-fashioned way."

He jumped on him, beckoning his friends to follow.

Squirming and other attempts by Scorpius-

The brute was interrupted by a cry from the other side of the room, and the blond boy was momentarily freed.

Austin, the scrawny little thing that he was, had somehow managed to tackle another bloke two times bigger than him to the ground.

"Adam Robards! Care to explain what you and your friends are pulling?"

Longbottom stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyebrows raised.

Robards widened his eyes.

"Malfoy provoked me, Prof-"

"Lies," Longbottom said calmly. "Now, Adam, you'll come to the Headmistress's office with me. I am sure she will be delighted to deal with you."

Robards hung his head in mock-guilt but followed.

His cronies, unsure what to do once their leader was gone, flopped back onto their beds and began discussing Quidditch loudly.

"Thanks, mate," Scorpius said to Austin.

He grinned. "Gryffindor is all about standing up to your friends and braving the enemy, isn't it?"

"Um, yes it is," Scorpius nodded. He wasn't too sure about that, though.

At least he had a mate in this lion den.

* * *

><p><strong>Next up: Neville calls Scorpius for a talk in his office in Gryffindor Tower. <strong>

**Chapter after that: The four's parents receive their letters the weekend after the Sorting. **

**Please read and review!**


	5. The Head of Gryffindor House

_**The Head of Gryffindor House **_

The next morning Robards hadn't yet returned.

Austin woke him. "Malfoy, Neville wants you in his office!"

Scorpius yawned and blinked tiredly.

"Just a second, mate."

He lumbered over to his trunk and found a cloak that he could over his normal clothes, as the uniform was optional during weekends.

"Come in," said Longbottom's voice once Scorpius found his office.

Scorpius turned the knob hesitantly and sat down at the Professor's invitation.

"Please make yourself comfortable, Mr Malfoy." Longbottom stirred his tea thoughtfully. "I would like you to know that Adam Robards has been suspended for this term." He stared at Scorpius. "Attacking another student without provocation _and_ lying to a Professor about it are very serious offenses. Indeed, his foster parents came to pick him up last night."

"Foster parents?"

"Yes. Adam Robards has been an orphan, ever since the end of the last rebellion. In short, his parents were skilled Aurors who had been killed in the uprising, and he was left parentless, as a baby."

"Oh," Scorpius muttered. "I'm sorry."

Longbottom took a sip of his drink and looked at him in the eye.

"That is why, I believe, Adam chose to attack you, Mr Malfoy. You see, the final battle took place in Azkaban, and your grandfather was one of the Death Eaters who had been liberated already, but he needed to check in at the prison every so often. Wrong place, wrong time – both of them, Lucius _and_ Gawain. It is the belief of many that your grandfather killed Gawain, but there is no proof, as he was wandless at the time – so he either used another's wand or he was just a witness."

Scorpius reddened slightly.

"And do you share that belief, sir?" he asked, a bit defensively.

Longbottom shook his head. "Harry does not believe so, and I trust Harry's judgement. I was an Auror at the time, myself, but I chose to retire."

The blonde boy got the sense that Longbottom was still sceptical – and there was something he was not mentioning, perhaps that he thought Grandfather was capable of such murder?

Scorpius thought that yes, his grandfather was capable of cold-blooded murder.

He was _certainly_ cruel enough.

"Anyhow, Mr Malfoy," Longbottom said, bringing him back into the cramped office in Gryffindor Tower, "Should you receive any more trouble from your peers, kindly let me know."

Scorpius stared at him. He thought Longbottom hated him?

"As I said preceding your Sorting, Scorpius," the Professor responded, "Your House is such as your family, at Hogwarts, and I am your Head of House. Families stick together, don't they?"

He patted his shoulder awkwardly.

"Have a good day, Mr Malfoy."

* * *

><p><strong>Next up: The four's parents receive letters concerning their Sorting. <strong>

**After that: On Sunday, Scorpius and James meet yet again. **

**Note: Gawain Robards was the Head of the Aurors until 2007, when Harry Potter took over. **

**Please read and review!**


	6. Letters from Four Firsties

_**Letters from Four Firsties **_

"And he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, departed this life."

Lily's eyelids, which had been drooping for the past hour, now closed, and she leaned against her mother as Ginny closed _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_.

The red-haired woman smiled and ruffled Lily's hair.

"Time for bed, Lills," she said gently. She picked her up. "Oof, you're getting heavy now-"

Harry appeared in the doorframe at that moment, holding a scroll of parchment, a tawny owl flapping in after him.

"Al's letter arrived," he said. "Haven't opened it yet, though."

Lily's blue eyes opened and she wriggled from her mother's grasp.

"I want to see!" she exclaimed, smiling excitedly.

Ginny glared at Harry. "And I'd just gotten her asleep!"

Her husband grinned sheepishly and ran a few fingers through his already-messy hair.

"Sorry, Gin," he turned to Lily, "Lills, you can read the letter and then go to bed, OK?"

"OK!" said Lily happily and grabbed the letter from him.

Ginny and Harry listened as she began reading aloud.

_Dear Mum, Dad, and Lily (I would __never __forget you, or you would probably kill me), _

_My first day went pretty darn well. _

_Well, for a first day at least. Vic appeared in the compartment that Rose, Lou, and I shared, Scorpius Malfoy in tow. Really, though, he isn't such a bad person. _

_I got Sorted into __**Ravenclaw**__ after the Sorting Hat proposed Slytherin for me. _

_I'm fine with it. Really. The Tower and the common room's real nice, and the books are awesome (even to an essentially non-reader), but the riddles are too tricky. _

_Wouldn't a password be fine? _

_Oh, and if you hadn't heard, Rose got Slytherin, Lou got Hufflepuff, and Scorpius got Gryffindor. _

_Please write back, but __not__ too often, _

_Your son Al _

"Well," Harry said. "I can't say I wasn't expecting it."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"Gin, if you look past his worrier exterior, you can see he's real clever and witty," Harry put in with a sigh.

"And," Lily chirped in, "He ought to be clever to think about how many ways a plan can fail!"

Ginny and Harry laughed.

"True," Ginny smiled down at her daughter, "Very, very true. Now, off to bed, Lily Luna Potter."

"It's an hour past your curfew," Harry added sternly.

Lily pouted, but nodded.

* * *

><p>"Eet zure eez quiet wizout Louis 'ere," Fleur remarked as she washed the dishes with a flick of her wand.<p>

"And the girls," Bill reminded her.

"Yes," Fleur looked at him crossly, "but ze girls 'ave been attending 'Ogwarts for a long time; Bon Dieu, Victoire iz graduating in June!"

Bill nodded, having a small nostalgic smile.

"Yes, they did grow up fast. Still remember being a big brother to Ginny, when she was born. I was what, eleven when she was born? Yeah."

The couple was silent for a while; then a sharp rapping at the window startled them.

"Louis," said Fleur, and she rushed to open the kitchen window.

A great snowy owl flew in regally, taking in the surroundings with her amber eyes. She was Dominique's owl, Callidora. She dropped a parchment on the dinner table and Fleur hurriedly picked it up.

"Read it," she told Bill.

_Dear Maman and Dad, _

_I like Hogwarts. It's really nice! The castle is wicked. _

_I made a new friend on the train, partly because of Vic: she brought Scorpius Malfoy. _

_He's a nice bloke, got Sorted into Gryffindor. _

_I got Sorted into Hufflepuff. I like my Housemates, they're really friendly, but my tie makes me look like a bee! _

_The common room is rather warm and cosy – and the prefect that brought us to the entrance explained to us that on special occasions, we got cocoa. _

_The beds and pillows are comfortable, as well – fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow, I was so tired. _

_Please write back! _

_Louis _

Bill chuckled.

"Always Louis, looking on the bright side of things."

"And describing ze beds," smiled Fleur. She searched for a quill.

* * *

><p>The school owl that arrived through the open window during the day had dropped the letter on the kitchen.<p>

Hermione found it once she and Ron got home from work. Hugo, who had already read it, had a sympathetic look, though Hermione wasn't sure who it was directed towards.

_Dear Mum, Dad, and Hugo, _

_**Especially to Dad**__: I think it is rather time for you to disown me, my dear Father. You see, I was Sorted into Slytherin. _

_Yeah, send me a Howler all you wish, I don't care. _

_**Especially to Dad the Second**__: If you're sputtering right now, tell Mum to pat your back, and drink some water. _

_**Especially to Hugo**__: If Dad's turning red now, kindly snatch the letter from him. _

_**To Everyone**__:_

_Thank you. _

_So, I like the dungeons. _

_And the snakes – they're a smart lot. _

_They wanted to intimidate me with that big, pathetic log named Vincent Goyle, but I showed them. _

_I think what I did was the Bat-Bogey Hex. _

_Funny. _

_I also befriended Scorpius Malfoy on the train. _

_He is surprisingly not as unfriendly as you lot describe him as, but still as clueless as Louis and Al. _

_Oh, well. You can't have everything. _

_**Especially to Dad the Third**__: No, I do not intend on marrying him, but I will not compete with him. Competition is rather pointless, I find. _

_**Especially to Mum and Hugo**__: Please excuse my annoyingness. I will try to become more polite in the near future. _

_Also, I made friends with a girl in my dormitory, Alcmene Nott, who is supposedly Malfoy's cousin. _

_Your daughter, _

_Rose _

Ron stared at her daughter's letter.

"That little impertinent-"

Hermione glared at him. "Now, Ronald, Rose will be Rose – we did try to warn her that her sharp tongue could be a bother at times."

"But – Slytherin – But-"

"She's made friends already! And from what I've heard from Ginny and Harry, Scorpius is a Gryffindor."

At this, Ron's mouth dropped open.

"Malfoy – is – a – _Gryffindor_? _Bloody hell_!"

"The world is changing, Ron, in case you haven't noticed," Hermione sighed loudly. "You should be happy for both Rose and Scorpius. And Slytherin will need a Weasley to show them what they're made of..."

* * *

><p>Lucius sipped his drink, drumming his fingers quickly against his desk.<p>

_When_ would the dreaded owl come?

Around twilight, he got lucky, finishing that cursed paperwork (_damned Auror Office_).

His grandson's owl, that eagle owl, Hunter (what a dreadful name in which to gift any respectable owl), hooted at his window.

"I know," he snapped, and opened the window.

The owl watched him warily as he hungrily tore open the letter.

_Dear Father, Mother, Grandmother, and Grandfather, _

_I am very sorry, but I was Sorted into Gryffindor. I did ask for Slytherin, though. _

_Sincerely, _

_Scorpius _

Lucius growled and went to find his wife, thrusting the parchment into her hands.

She scowled at him, but shrugged and read it.

"I am going to send a Howler, Cissa!" he told her angrily. "How dare-"

Her slender fingers closed around his wrist.

"Let us not be hasty, Lucius," her icy blue eyes met his stormy grey, and he calmed for a second, "We shall first patient for Draco and Astoria to come back from their voyage in the North on Monday, and then we shall decide what to do. Please, do not go marching to the Board of Governors right now, Lucius. This matter can wait."

Lucius cursed under his breath, but nodded.

"Backstabbing hypocrite," he muttered. "Daffodil, I am going to owl Megara. Perhaps she will have a suggestion."

Narcissa smiled tiredly at him.

"Perhaps our granddaughter will."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next up: Scorpius and Albus run into each other. Scorpius makes a truce with James. <strong>_

_**After that: (Tentative) Classes, with a reapperance of Rose's and maybe Louis. **_

_**Don't forget to please, read and review! **_

_**How did everyone like the characterizations of the four's families when they received the letters? Especially Lucius and Ron. **_


	7. The Eagle Knocker's Riddle

_**The Eagle Knocker's Riddle **_

"Let's go explore the grounds," Austin suggested after they finished eating lunch. "Mum says they're really large and interesting!"

"Sure," Scorpius said, shrugging. His bemusement over Austin's enthusiasm had all but dissipated after two days spent listening to his babbles.

They went back to their dormitory briefly to feed the brown-haired boy's pet mouse, Nugget, and then they headed out, near the lake.

"'Ey, Malfoy, Finch-Fletchey!"

The two Gryffindors turned around and found Hagrid waving at them with a dustbin lid-sized hand over at his hut. They sheepishly stepped over the rocks.

"How are yeh two?" he asked them. "Enjoyin' yer 'Ouses? I 'eard you lads go' inter Gryffindo', my ol' 'Ouse. Tha' true?"

"Yes, sir," Scorpius said.

"Yeah, Hagrid, I'm first Gryffindor in the family!" Austin told him happily.

"Well," Hagrid clapped him on the back, making him wince, "Susan and Justin oughter be proud, then! Me dad were a Ravenclaw, 'imself."

His black eyes travelled to Scorpius. "And yeh, youn' Scorpius? Neville tol' me yer go' in a spo' on Friday."

"I'm fine, sir."

Hagrid laughed, a warm, booming sound.

"There's no nee' to call me 'sir' – 'Agrid will do fine."

"Er, OK," Scorpius said, reddening slightly. "_Hagrid_."

"Good chap," the groundskeeper clapped him on the back, making him double in pain.

Hagrid looked off in the distance. "An' there's little Al," he said. "Al!"

Albus blinked in surprise but walked over.

"Hullo, Hagrid," he grinned. "Hullo, Scorp – and you're Austin, right? I've seen you at the Burrow!"

"Yeah!" Austin said. "Mum and Dad are Neville's old friends."

A boarhound barked in the distance.

"That'll be Fan'," Hagrid said. "Have a goo' day now and don' go in the Lake!"

With that, he ran to keep pace with his dog, who seemed to have found something in the Forbidden Forest.

Albus faced the two Gryffindors.

"Mates," said the black-haired boy, "You want to come up to Ravenclaw Tower? I want to show you the common room."

"Sure!" grinned Austin. He elbowed Scorpius. "Right, Scorp?"

The two seemed taken with his new nickname, Scorpius thought, before answering _yes_.

Ravenclaw Tower was located on the west side of the Hogwarts grounds. Contrarily to the Gryffindor common room, the Ravenclaw common room was located on the fifth floor of the castle. However, the three boys were panting by the time they reached the entrance, as they had chased each other up flights and flights of stairs.

"Wha –" Scorpius huffed. "Is – the – password – Albus?"

Albus scowled. "There's no password, mate. Look."

He gestured to a bronze eagle head knocker.

"That thing will ask you a question, and you will need to answer it. It's usually a riddle."

"Too complex," Scorpius commented.

Albus sighed loudly. "Yes, it is."

The eagle knocker creaked. "_What is broken every time paroles are spoken_?"

Scorpius stared at the knocker, and Albus shrugged as if to say _this is what I was talking about_.

Austin scratched his head.

"A vase?" he asked. The door remained firmly shut.

"What is broken," Scorpius repeated slowly, "every time paroles are spoken? Hmm – paroles are words, I think. Words are spoken. Hmm."

"Something that is broken every time words are spoken," Albus narrowed his eyes at the knocker. "Is it silence?"

"Good guess," the knocker said in a haughty woman's voice, "but alas, not quite, my dear boy."

"Surely it would be silence," said Scorpius, trying to reason with it.

"No."

Albus shook his head. "This is highly inconvenient."

"Potter," said a snide voice, "Surely the Sorting Hat would not have placed you in Ravenclaw, should you be so thick."

The boys turned, finding themselves face-to-face with the portrait of a pale man with a hooked nose framed by oily, raven black hair and dead black eyes.

"Who are you?" Albus, the first to speak, demanded.

"Severus Snape, child," he sneered. "I am merely taking advantage of Dame Ravenclaw's momentary absence. Listening to the Headmistress sort out little brats' problems is not quite my fancy, you know. I see, despite your Ravenclaw Sorting, that you do not lack the nerve of your idiotic family."

"My family is _not_ idiotic!" Albus glared at him. "And my dad named me after you!"

His eyes widened, slightly shocked, but he regained his impassive posture.

"Potter may have changed," Snape said. "I have witnessed alike things happening." He swiveled to face Scorpius. "Ah. Malfoy – Draco's son and Lucius's grandson, I take?"

"Yes, sir."

His black eyes turned to look at his Gryffindor badge. "Gryffindor. Hmm. I have known Lucius enough, it seems, to predict what he may do next. You watch yourself, Malfoy."

"And Finch-Fletchey," the former Headmaster looked bored now. "Yes, I taught your father in my Potions class. A moron, that boy was-"

"No, he wasn't!" Austin was glaring at Snape with such ferocity that both Scorpius and Albus were taken aback. "Dad fought in the battle of Hogwarts, he lost many close friends, and he works at the Ministry now!"

"Touchy, are we not?" muttered Snape. "Well, yes, foolish boy-"

"Severus! What are you doing in my portrait again?"

The Dame of Ravenclaw Tower, the portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw herself, glared at Snape.

"Boy, I would ask you to return to the Headmistress's office, where you belong, as soon as you belong. Goodbye."

Snape was expulsed from the painting and Ravenclaw surveyed the three with dark, intelligence-filled eyes.

"You were there the whole time, ma'am, weren't you?" Scorpius asked her.

"Yes." She was haughtily beautiful, Scorpius noticed, and he kept himself from blushing with difficulty. "Severus is quite an act. You must excuse his behavior; he has not yet had time to adjust to portrait-being." She pointed to the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. "Misters Malfoy, Potter, and Finch-Fletchey, I would suggest that you think on less generic terms for your riddle, because the answer that you gave was, of course, fairly generic."

"Think of your world. _Our_ world."

Rowena Ravenclaw was gone.

"The world of magic is our world," Albus said.

"The Taboo!" exclaimed Austin suddenly.

Albus and Scorpius wore looks of confusion.

"The Taboo Curse is a powerful spell that alerts a certain group of a speaker's location when one utters a specific word," said Austin excitedly.

"What is broken every time paroles are spoken?" Albus told the eagle knocker. "The Taboo is broken every time a specific word is spoken."

The knocker murmured, "Persistent effort, boys. Very well. You may gain entry to the Ravenclaw common room." It clicked.

The Ravenclaw common room was a wide, circular room with a midnight blue carpet, aristocratically arched windows with silk blue curtains, and a starry, domed ceiling. The windows showed a clear view of the surrounding mountains. The walls were covered in bookshelves, filled from old, crumbling volumes to freshly printed, shiny-covered Muggle paperbacks. Regal tables and chairs, keen for studying, furnished the lounge-like room. Scorpius spotted a statue of Ravenclaw in the corner, wearing a beautiful diadem.

"Your common room's… imposing," Scorpius said.

Albus grinned. "Thanks, mate." He reached into his pocket.

"Any of you have Chocolate Frog Cards to trade?"

"I do!" Austin said, and pulled out a few ones.

"I think… Wait," Scorpius felt into his pocket and found several from the train.

Albus looked at them critically.

"Salazar Slytherin, Dad, Uncle Ron, Dumbledore, Circe… Your cards aren't too bad. Show me yours, Aust."

Austin thrust them into his waiting palms.

"Antioch Peverell, Morganna, Aunt Hermione, Lorcan D'Eath…"

"I'll trade Peverell for…" Albus searched in his cards. "Fred Gideon Weasley?"

Scorpius looked over Austin's shoulder as the brown-haired boy regarded it critically.

_**Frederick Gideon "Fred" Weasley (1 April 1978 – 2 May 1998) **_

_Co-proprietor of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, inventor of many brilliant prank ideas still lovingly used to this day, Fred was a part of the obscure Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, a fighter in the Battle over Little Whinging, and a commentator in the elusive Potterwatch. He was most unfortunately killed in the Battle of Hogwarts and will be forever remembered as a fun-loving two-part composed of him and his twin brother, George. He was awarded an Order of Merlin and a special service to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his valiant sacrifice._

"Sure," Austin said.

Albus turned to Scorpius.

"I'll give you Nicholas Flamel and Helena Ravenclaw for Circe and Dumbledore."

The blond boy shook his head.

"Give me Minerva McGonagall instead of Helena Ravenclaw."

"Why?"

"Helena's card doesn't have too much power," Scorpius said.

Albus sighed. "With keen eyes like that, you could be Slytherin, just like Rose."

Scorpius frowned. "No, I couldn't," he said pointedly.

Austin, sensing the tension, quickly changed the subject.

They stayed in Ravenclaw Tower until it was supper; and then they ate at their separate House tables.

On the way back to Gryffindor territory, Austin tugged at Scorpius's sleeve.

"What?" Scorpius said irritably.

"It's James Potter and his cronies."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next up: Scorpius and James meet again, as you may have guessed. <strong>_

_**After that: Classes, I suppose, with a bit of Rose and maybe Louis. **_

_**Please read and review!**_


	8. The Truce

_**The Truce **_

Potter spread out his arms in a genial manner, in what Scorpius perceived as a rather untalented impression of Albus Dumbledore (from what he had picked up from Grandfather's ramblings about the old man). He grinned at Austin, his hazel eyes mischievous.

"Austin, mate!" Potter exclaimed. "Consorting with the enemy, I see!" He grinned even wider at Scorpius. "And Malfoy! You escaped from Azkaban, didn't you?"

"Ha ha," Scorpius snapped. "Very funny, Potter."

Austin stuck his tongue out at the second year, which made his three cronies snicker. "Scorpius is _not_ my enemy!" He declared loyally. "He's my friend – it's not wartime, James!"

"Well, I'll say it again, if it hadn't stuck to your head the first time, Malfoy," Potter flexed his fingers most arrogantly. "My family, and Austin's, and many others whose children walk these halls still nowadays, worked hard to bring down people like you and your family."

"Quite a speech, Potter, for you," the firstie sneered. "In case what I had conveyed did not stick in _your_ bloated head, I repeat as well, Potter – _I wasn't born during the war_. I was born seven years afterwards."

"No matter, blondie," shot Tom, the brown-haired boy from the Welcoming Feast. "What T – James means is that his family worked to bring down your family – right, Jay?"

"Yeah," Potter, who had looked worried at the loophole Scorpius had found for a minable second, now wore a cocky look again. "Very well said as usual, Tom." He smirked at Scorpius. "I challenge you to a duel, Malfoy. Or are you too much of a coward to take up my challenge, like your granddad?"

"Right on," Scorpius had a small, for some reason, victorious, smile. He was tired of this arrogant prat – he would shut him up, once and for all.

Austin's eyes widened. "No, Scorp!" he said, shaking his head vehemently. "Don't! James'll totally _flatten_ you!"

"Exactly my purpose," grinned Potter.

The little boy seemed determined to prove his point. "It's not _fair_!" Austin glared at the four second years. "James, you had much more experience than Scorpius, as a second year, and you _know_ that!"

"Nobody said anything about fair," shrugged another boy, a long-haired one. "Life isn't fair, little one."

"Rick should know," added Tom. "He's a Hufflepuff."

Austin glared even harder. "Hufflepuffs _should_ know about fairness!"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes at Potter, and said, with a trace of a bored drawl in his voice, to Austin, "You're my second, Finch-Fletchey."

Tom and another boy resembling him very much, perhaps his twin, snickered in unison. Rick smirked. Potter frowned at his friends, deciding which would be best as second, sizing them up. "Aaron, you'll be my second," he said finally.

"First, we bow," said Potter. Scorpius shook his head; he simply jerked it in an attempt to a curt nod. Potter did not _deserve_ his respect. "Second, we face each other."

"I think you got that reversed, James," Austin said thoughtfully.

"Oh, _whatever_," Potter scowled at Scorpius. "Face me, Malfoy!"

"Says who?"

"_I_, James Sirius Potter!"

"Oohh, nice name. I am _so_ convinced."

"And we begin!" Potter yelled at him, his face red so his freckles stood out. "_Serpensortia_!"

A long, black hissing snake appeared from his wand, landed on the floor with a thump, and began slithering towards Scorpius. The blond boy jumped in surprise. Potter snickered at his alarm.

"You shouldn't be scared of snakes, Malfoy! They are your roots, after all!"

"_Shut_ it!" bellowed Scorpius. "_Protego_!"

The snake advanced on Potter. Taking advantage of the momentary pause of Scorpius, Aaron said, "_Vipera Evanesca_!" The vile animal erupted into black smoke and the Gryffindor twins helped Potter get up. Scorpius waited for them to get up, and then seizing the opportunity, went, "_Expelliarmus_!"

Austin jumped to Scorpius's defense and yelled, "_Petrificus totalus_!" at Potter's second.

Aaron fell to the floor with a clunk. "Good job!" Scorpius whispered. Austin beamed.

Just then, the Gryffindors heard the unmistakable sound of satisfied purrs.

"Who's that?" Austin whispered.

"More, what they are?" Potter looked worried now. "Mrs Norris and Mr Whiskers, Filch's cats! They'll catch us!" He turned to Rick and Thomas and said swiftly, "_Rennervate_ him, _quickly_, I forgot how. I know a place in which we can hide."

"We're following!" Scorpius hissed to the second year boys. "You dragged us here, after all!"

Potter frowned, but the dimwit must have realized he was in no position to argue, because he gave a curt nod. He pointed at the nearby stone archway. "That's the entrance to the Room of Requirement, mates – hurry, before we get detention! I swear, Mum's Howlers are _terrible_!"

"_Sure_, they are," muttered Scorpius wryly. "C'mon, Aust."

He was positive that his grandfather's were worse, but no matter.

The room they entered was relatively small, perhaps the size of half of the first year Gryffindor boys' dormitory. There were three red sofas with gold linings and a small, outdated wireless sitting morosely on a coffee table. A feeble banner sporting the Gryffindor lion hung overhead.

"_Wicked_, this time," Potter grinned. "Last time we ended up here, it was a broom closet. _Horrible_ accommodations, I tell you."

And again, maybe being the son of the vanquisher of the Dark Lord hadn't done much good to James Sirius Potter's bloated head growth. Even Megara, who had been quite spoiled by Father, had much better public manners than this… pig.

Austin and Scorpius squished onto one of the sofas, while Aaron lay resting on another. The remaining sat on the last one, Thomas fiddling gloomily with the wireless. It did not seem to work. Scorpius closed his eyes.

The brown-haired boy beside him shifted impatiently. "How long until Filch and his cats leave, James?"

Potter drummed his fingers on the edge of his sofa. "Maybe an hour or two," he said. "Maybe longer – we've been through this much last year, haven't we, boys?"

His cronies nodded in reconnaissance.

After a while, Scorpius got up and decided to look around. "An hour or two" was a long time, he thought. The walls were of stone, like other parts of the castle, but part of it had been slightly burned. When he looked closer, he thought that he saw a sparkle.

"What the heck - ?" he muttered, squinting at it.

It had not been a trick of the light. This time, he saw that it was a jewel – an emerald, in fact. He stroked it – something his family would have called utterly foolish – but he was not Gryffindor for nothing, was he?

There was a slight shock, but then the wall groaned so softly that Scorpius was sure that he was the only who had heard, as Austin was contemplating his House badge, Thomas was staring off into space, Rick and James were talking about Quidditch, and Aaron had begun snoring.

A soft hiss sounded. "Passsword?"

So this was one of the snakes guarding the Slytherin common room, Scorpius thought. He had heard of them – Father had warned him about them. He quickly hid his House badge. "Pureblood," he guessed.

There was a slight pause. "That wasss lassst week'sss passssowrd."

"Last week, in June," Scorpius corrected. "Oh, I am sorry – I heard this one from my friend Vincent Goyle."

It was time to put his lying skills to work. He was really curious about this entrance – perhaps it had emerged with the end of the war itself?

"Ah," said a different voice, with a slightly vaguer hiss. "But thissss isss a Malfoy."

"A Malfoy?" The first snake sounded excited now. "The heir of the Malfoy line… here, wishessssss to gain entry?"

"Yes," Scorpius said in his most dignified, smug voice. He was conscious of Austin, who was observing him quietly.

"The passsssword," it seemed most ashamed. "is –"

The other hissed loudly. Potter jumped.

"Don't tell him! Salazar, he might be an impostor for all we know."

Scorpius shot a silencing look at Potter.

_Let me deal with it, Potter. _

For some reason, the second year gave a curt nod.

"I'm not an impostor," Scorpius said smoothly, in a perfect imitation of his grandfather's most haughty manner. "If you think that I, member of the elite Malfoy line, am an impostor, then I must ask myself what happened to Slytherin House nowadays."

The snake gave a low hiss and coiled. He saw a glimmer of a silver scale before it disappeared.

Then the students present in the Room of Requirement all jumped.

Two entwined silver snakes were slowly emerging from the wall. Scorpius made sure his badge was still covered and had a small smile.

"I am sorry for my offending you," he said, bowing his head slightly, partly so they would not see the smirk forming on his lips. "But if my grandfather, Lucius Malfoy, saw you two asking me that, he would blast you into oblivion, sneer into your face, and call you lot pathetic."

"SSSSSir!" One of the snakes looked worried. "We are – yes, we are, Charmion – most ashamed at our unfit behavior, forgive us, Master Malfoy. We offer you free entrance to our common room in exchange."

"If you say so," Scorpius said slyly. He showed them his badge. "The offer still stands, snakes. Thank you."

Their hisses of outrage could be heard as they slowly shrank into the wall.

Potter looked slightly impressed. "Tell you what, ole chap," he said casually. "Next time you visit the common room, I mean – _every_ time you visit the common room – I heard you're friends with Rosie, right? - I'll come, under my Invisibility Cloak, with you. There's a fair bunch of Slytherins I want to prank…"

"OK," Scorpius nodded. "On one condition, though, Potter."

"What?"

"You leave my friends and I alone," the blond boy smirked. "That doesn't just mean Austin here – it also means Louis, Rose, Albus, and Alcmene."

Potter opened his mouth, as if to protest, but jerked his head. He stuck out a hand.

"Deal?"

"Deal," Scorpius said, and they shook.

* * *

><p><strong>Next up: Classes, with Rose and Louis - and others, like Albus and Austin of course. <strong>

**Sorry for the long wait! I had to rewrite this chapter... but all's well now, I hope. **

**Please read and review!**


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